“People keep asking me: ‘Did you do something different. Did you do something to your hair. Did you loose some weight?’ ” she said. “I haven’t lost any weight. I lost a bit of material off my uniform.”

“Before I was feeling kind of frumpy in my uniform, whereas now I feel like I look like a professional,” she added.

The new ACUs are less boxy and take into account the many shapes and sizes female Soldiers come in.

The most obvious difference between the current Army Combat Uniform and the new version is a snugger fitting shoulder area on the jacket. Other enhancements include repositioned knee and elbow pads; an elastic waistband replacing the draw string; slightly moved rank and name tapes; shortened crotch length; resized pen holes on the jacket arm and trouser and jacket sizes tailored to chest, waist, hips, inseam and sweep.

The Army says the tests of 500 Soldiers at four bases will go on for 90 days. The uniforms aren't scheduled to hit the field until 2014.